


Powerverse - Empire Records: Lady Madonna

by akire_yta



Category: Empire Records (1995), powergeneration
Genre: powergeneration - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 20:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>first draft, just written, probably fucked my tenses again.  Suggestions welcome for improvement!  Still working with Pierce, learning his character ;)</p>
    </blockquote>





	Powerverse - Empire Records: Lady Madonna

**Author's Note:**

> first draft, just written, probably fucked my tenses again. Suggestions welcome for improvement! Still working with Pierce, learning his character ;)

They had scrubbed for hours the day it had happened, but even so faint traces of the words remained etched on the walls. Every time Pierce walked by, his eyes were drawn to the scoured brickwork, looking for the painted Madonna who was no longer there. But she was gone, another casualty of ignorance and prejudice.

Her absence made the back alley entrance seem unfamiliar and unfriendly. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way, even though they had not spoken about it in the weeks since. But the way Pip pulled her coat tighter around her slim frame as he opened the door for her had nothing to do with the cool breeze blowing off the water, he was certain.

Monday’s were always slow at the Empire – the weekend people were still recovering, and the weekday people were too busy getting started to think about vinyls or the latest release. Out the front, he could hear Pip gossiping with one of her friends, just shooting the breeze, killing time.

He sighed and ran his index claw along the taped seam of the last box. Inventory had killed an hour – he supposed he could push a broom around again or something.

He stood and collected the empty boxes and packaging into a tidy bundle and pushed his way out the back door. A cool, damp breeze blew up off the docks and ruffled his hair, bringing with it the smell of water and machinery.

He dragged the tips of his claws through his shaggy hair, tugging at the knots. His mother was always at him to get it trimmed, but he had never found a style to suit him so why waste the money?

His hands dropped to his side as once again he was struck by the _wrongness_ of the bare back wall. In the late afternoon light, he could make out traces of ancient paint which had soaked into the brickwork, leaving a faint echo of the original painting.

His critical eye also spotted the remenents of out-of-place markings, the last traces of the graffiti that even their most dedicated scrubbing couldn’t completely eradicate.

Suddenly, he knew. The tips of his incisors glinted in the sunshine as he headed back into the Empire to get what he needed.

~#~

A few kids of skateboards were sitting on the fence, watching something intently as they passed a clandestine cigarette back and forth. Jamie frowned as he approached, then stopped dead as he saw what held them spellbound.

They were friends, of course he knew that Pierce was a big guy. But somehow, he’d always managed to somehow seem… _smaller_ , somehow.

His shirt was off, and every muscle was clearly defined as it moved like silk under his skin. As he watched, Pierce stood up from his crouch and reached up the wall. It was like his body would never stop.

Jamie cursed softly under his breath in surprise.

Against the wall, Pierce turned and flashed Jamie a brilliant grin. “Jamie!” he called in cheerful greeting. “I am almost finished. What do you think?” He stepped back to the edge of the loading dock, and Jamie got his first good look.

It was like the Madonna of before, but there were differences. The brush strokes and lines weren’t as crisp as those of the original – the old Madonna had this sense of depth to her that this copy did not. But still…

Jamie leapt easily up onto the dock. “It’s…it’s awesome man.”

Pierce laughed lightly and turned to study his art critically. “It is shit,” he said blandly in his usual crisp tones. “But it is better than nothing.” He leant down to pick up a pot of paint, and Jamie forced himself to look at the painting rather than stare. “I have only the fine bits to do now, if you want to help?” Jamie turned and saw Pierce looking at him, easy understanding clear in his face.

Jamie grinned back. “Sure.”

They propped the door open so the music from inside wafted out as they stood side by side daubing paint on the wall. It had already become apparent that Pierce was better at wielding the fine brush than Jamie would ever be, and so he had surrendered that job in favour of swiping fat brushstrokes of colour around the edges, covering the last traces of the graffiti. He didn’t mind – it was actually kind of calming, in a way. He could ignore the echoes of thoughts that normally dogged him through the day. He smiled dreamily and dipped the brush in the pot. It was – relaxing.

A small chuckle above him broke his quiet reverie. “What, man?”

Pierce’s chuckle turned into an out and out laugh as he stepped back and made a show of examining his masterpiece.

Jamie scrambled to his feet and stepped back. His jaw dropped open as he saw the finished piece. “Oh…my…you didn’t?”

No one could grin as evilly as a guy with fangs. Jamie barked with laughter. “You…you are the Master. I bow before you, sir.” He sketched a bow which set Pierce off again. “It is inspired.”

Pierce tried and failed not to look smug. “Thankyou.” He looked again at his painting and sighed. “Perhaps it is not the smartest thing to paint on the wall. But sometimes…” he sighed again. “You need to declare who you are.”

Jamie bent to picking up the paint cans so he didn’t have to reply.

They shut the door behind them, leaving the new Madonna to look out towards the docks through yellow cats eyes.


End file.
